Media Matters Daily Summary 03-25-11

Beck Twists Statement By Obama Adviser To Portray Her As Anti-Israel
Glenn Beck played an edited video clip of Obama adviser Samantha Power to suggest she favors a "mammoth protection force" to "protect against Israel." In fact, Power was asked what would be necessary to stop a move toward genocide by "one party or another" in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; she said it may require investment in a new Palestinian state and a "meaningful military presence." Read More

Glenn Beck Lies About NH Court Case To Continue To Vilify Public Schools
Glenn Beck falsely claimed that the New Hampshire Supreme Court prevented "parents" from home schooling their children based on a case that simply resolved a dispute between two divorced parents over the best way to educate their daughter. Beck has previously demonized public schools for "indoctrinat[ing]" children and "beg[ged]" people to home-school their children. Read More

Right-Wing Media's Evidence-Free Attack That Obama Is Lying About Ground Troops In Libya
Following the president's military action, the right-wing media launched an evidence-free attack that Obama is lying when he claims that the United States will not deploy ground troops in Libya. Media conservatives have baselessly speculated that special operative troops may be operating in Libya, despite acknowledging that publicly announcing the presence of such might endanger them. Read More

Hemmer Cherry Picks "Unscientific Poll" To Distort Public Support For Collective Bargaining
Fox News' Bill Hemmer mischaracterized public opinion as strongly opposed to union rights, citing what he himself called an "unscientific poll." In fact, actual scientific polls - including a Fox News poll - have shown widespread public opposition to restricting collective bargaining rights for public employees. Read More

Fox Mocks DOJ For Bringing Lawsuit To Defend Religious Practices Of Muslim
Bill O'Reilly, Jeanine Pirro, Gretchen Carlson are ridiculing and attacking the Justice Department for suing a school district for discrimination on behalf of a Muslim teacher who resigned after her request for time off to make hajj, a religious pilgrimage observant Muslims must take, was denied. But the Justice Department is acting on the recommendation of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which previously engaged in a similar lawsuit during the Bush administration, and even Fox's Megyn Kelly has acknowledged that the DOJ may have a case. Read More

Limbaugh Smears Obama Administration For Using Common Military Term "Kinetic"
Rush Limbaugh mocked the Obama administration for use of the term "kinetic" to describe military action in Libya, saying that the administration had "come up with the ludicrous term." In reality, "kinetic" is a common military term used by military and civilian leaders under both Democratic and Republican administrations, including former President George W. Bush andformer Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Read More